For the next two years, Walter Fajet will have a stronger voice in dictating the future of Miami Springs.

Voters picked him over former City Council member Bob Best to serve as Mayor.

Fajet beat Best with nearly 66% of the vote. Because of the city’s term limit rules, he can only serve as Mayor for a single two-year term.

“I’m happy the residents of Miami Springs had the confidence in me to lead them,” Fajet told Florida Politics, adding that he looked forward to building on the progress he’s made in the past six years.

“We’ve made a lot of changes. We have a new City Manager, a new Public Works Director, a new Chief of Police, we have a positive trajectory for our city, and we’re going to continue that for my final term.”

Joining Fajet on the five-member Council are new members Joseph Dion and Fabian Perez-Crespo, who respectively won the Group 2 and Group 4 seats Tuesday.

Dion took 50.5% of the vote to defeat Irma Matos and MaryJo Mejia Ramos. Perez-Crespo, meanwhile, received more than 64% of the vote to secure victory over Tom Hutchings.

The race marked Perez-Crespo’s first run at public office, and he leaned on his experience fundraising for local scout troops and the Miami Springs Women’s Club.

“I’m used to asking people for donations. Engaging with people was natural to me. But running for office was a whole ‘nother level, and I’m so grateful for the citizens of Miami Springs believing and trusting in me,” he said. “From here on, we’re moving forward to do the people’s work.”

Florida Politics contacted Dion for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Miami Springs election rules dictate that no matter the number of candidates in each contest, the candidate with the most votes wins. There is no requirement that a candidate receive more than half the votes, and there are no runoffs.

The winners of Tuesday’s nonpartisan election won two-year terms.

Best and Fajet faced off for the right to succeed Mayor Maria Puente Mitchell, who is leaving office due to term limits.

Best, a 72-year old Democrat, is a past Council member who has been out of office since 2013. Fajet, a 52-year-old Republican, has served in the Group 3 seat for three consecutive terms.

A U.S. Air Force veteran, Best worked in the aerospace industry and owned a local landscaping company.

He vowed, if elected, to support targeted development that doesn’t significantly alter the city’s character, protect green spaces, improve local safety initiatives and improve the city’s parking situation — an issue most candidates cited as problematic.

Best told MiamiSprings.com that running for Mayor was “the next logical step” for him, politically.

“I have the experience. I worked with three or four City Managers, three Mayors,” he said. “I’ve got the leadership skills to bring forth certain experience.”

Through March 27, Best raised $3,705, including a $1,000 check from United Teachers of Dade and a $500 self-loan.

Fajet, a charter school principal and Miami Springs resident for more than 40 years, ran on a platform prioritizing increased police funding, lowering the city’s millage rate, halting expansion of Miami Springs’ Overlay District, addressing parking issues and getting more funding for senior services.

He told the Miami Herald that Miami Springs needed to capitalize better on development opportunities while preserving the city’s “small-town feel, beautiful tree canopy and idyllic way of life.”

“My policy platform is rooted in a deep commitment to the City of Miami Springs and the best interest of ALL its residents,” he said in a statement.

Fajet stacked up $40,401 by March 27. His donors included Management Hospitality, the Miami Association of Realtors and the political committees of Miami-Dade County Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez, Miami-Dade School Board member Daniel Espino and Florida Highway Patrol trooper Joe Sanchez, who ran for Sheriff last year.

The race to replace outgoing Council member Jacky Bravo in Group 2 featured two Republicans, Dion and Matos, and one Democrat, Mejia-Ramos.

Dion, a 44-year-old process server and small-business owner, had a platform prioritizing crime prevention and preserving the city while embracing “thoughtful planning and sustainable development.”

He told the Miami Herald the most pressing issues in Miami Springs are the city’s high property taxes, crime on 36th Street, traffic and parks accessibility.

Dion carried an endorsement from the Miami Realtors Global and raised $22,670.

Matos, a 69-year-old author, real estate investor and entrepreneur who serves as President of the Wings II Townhouse Apartments Condominium Association, made crime prevention a centerpiece of her campaign.

She hoped, if elected, to support police and combat human trafficking, preserve Miami Springs’ character, clean up 36th Street, attract more businesses to the city and start a campaign called “Save the Children” to combat human trafficking and child predation.

Matos raised $1,025, most of it her money.

Mejia-Ramos, a 55-year-old former University of Miami’s Jackson Health System employee, came to Election Day with an edge in campaign experience. In 2023, she mounted an unsuccessful City Council bid, but lost to Santin. She is also a member and planner of the city’s 2026 Centennial Celebration and a longtime member of the Miami Springs Women’s Club.

Her platform focuses included improving the city’s economic stability, balancing its budget, fostering commercial development on Northwest 6th Street and Abraham Track, and safeguarding the city’s tree canopy.

She raised $9,824, including $3,000 in self-loans. Her donors included the Florida Democratic Party and former state Rep. Robert Asencio, among others.

Two years after losing a race for the Group 4 seat by 20 votes to outgoing Council member Victor Vázquez, 61-year-old Republican Tom Hutchings made another run at it this year.

Perez-Crespo, a 57-year-old with no party affiliation, denied Hutchings victory.

An Emmy Award-winning multimedia pro and life coach, Perez-Crespo will make the jump from civil volunteer to elected official. Before running for office, he served as a member of the Miami Springs Historical Society and Miami Springs Women’s Club.

He promised, if elected, to protect Miami Springs from overdevelopment, strengthen the city’s business corridor, support local small businesses, cut taxes, support police, champion Parks and Rec programs, promote effective parking solutions and further rejuvenate the city’s tree canopy to “reclaim” its “Tree City USA” title.

Perez-Crespo reported raising $7,930, with sizable donations from the Miami Realtors PAC and EB Hotel.

Hutchings, a restaurateur, told MiamiSprings.com he wanted to preserve the city’s “small-town charm” while redeveloping some of its older areas that are in need of modernization.

Reducing crime, cracking down on through-traffic speeders and working with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to provide more after-school activities to youths are also high on Hutchings’ to-do list.

He raised $6,100, $1,500 of it self-loaned.

Races for two of the Council’s five seats were decided last month, when Group 1 Council member Jorge Santin coasted back into office and Orlando Lamas won Fajet’s Group seat unopposed.

Election Day voting for the 2.9-square-mile municipality of nearly 14,000 residents was held at the Miami Springs Golf & Country Club from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

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Rep. Debbie Mayfield is one step closer to returning to her old seat in the Senate.

The Melbourne Republican has won a Republican Primary in Senate District 19, and will now advance to a June 10 Special Election against Democrat Vance Ahrens.

Mayfield secured the Republican nomination after defeating three GOP opponents: Republican Party activist Marcie Adkins, business graduate Mark Lightner and former Melbourne City Council member Tim Thomas.

With 100% of precincts reporting, Mayfield won nearly 61% of the vote in the four-candidate field, with Lightner taking more than 16%, Thomas more than 13% and Adkins under 10%.

“I’m grateful for the trust voters have placed in me tonight and will continue to work to earn the privilege of representing the Space Coast in Florida’s Senate,” Mayfield said.

The winner of the June election will succeed former Sen. Randy Fine, a Palm Bay Republican who resigned to run for Congress.

Mayfield, a Representative and former Senator, enjoyed the political victory weeks less than two months after winning a legal one to appear on the ballot.

Secretary of State Cord Byrd earlier this year disqualified Mayfield on the grounds that since, as a term-limited Senator, she could not seek this Senate seat in 2024, she should not be able to run in a Special Election months later to replace Fine, who resigned the seat to run for Congress.

But the Florida Supreme Court said Byrd erred both in reaching beyond the ministerial duties of running the Division of Elections and misreading Florida’s term limit rules, which only restrict nonconsecutive service in office.

Since the state’s high court validated her candidacy, Mayfield enjoyed massive financial support for her campaign. Through March 27, Mayfield spent nearly $169,000 on the race. She enjoyed support thanks to numerous influential political operations in Tallahassee donating maximum $1,000 contributions to her campaign, including Associated Industries of Florida, as well as lobbying firms like Greenberg Traurig, Rubin Turnbull & Associates and Ronald L. Book Government Consulting.

Political committees controlled by Senate President Ben Albritton and Sens. Jim Boyd, Colleen Burton, Ed Hooper, Corey Simon and Tom Wright, all of whom previously served with Mayfield in the Senate, also donated.

That gave Mayfield an edge financially before touching political committees under her control, including Conservatives for Good Government and Friends of Debbie Mayfield, the latter of which reported almost $117,000 in spending as of March 19.

The next biggest fundraiser proved to be Adkins, who spent more than $37,000 on the race through March 27. Thomas spent more than $14,000 through that point, while Lightner reported about $8,500 in expenditures. None of the candidates had high-profile committees supporting their campaigns.

Mayfield heads into the Special Election a heavy favorite. But Ahrens, whom Fine defeated in November, hoped to harness energy that allowed Democrats to overperform heading into two congressional Special Elections on Tuesday.

“While the GOP is playing musical chairs for power moves, I’m still focused on working for the citizens and my neighbors in Brevard County,” Ahrens told Florida Politics.

“After 30 years of GOP control, we are still facing an economic crisis with rising costs, especially for homes and insurance. I want to focus on a consumer and environmental approach to mitigating that crisis. Our environment is another important issue, impacting our eco-tourism and the Space Coast’s overall well-being. I want our children to be safe in school, and public schools must be well-funded to provide for all our kids. Lastly, like an overwhelming majority of Floridians, I believe medical decisions should only be made by patients and their doctors, not politicians.”

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Republican Randy Fine is heading to Congress after winning a Special Election. But his road there proved more dramatic than most political observers could have predicted just a few months ago.

With nearly all votes counted, Fine led Josh Weil with nearly 57% of the vote to the Democrat’s under 43%. Libertarian Greg Parrott and no-party candidate Randall Terry each have less than a half a percentage point.

Fine will succeed former U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, who resigned his seat to become President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser. That’s good for Fine, who had to resign a Florida Senate seat he vacated Monday in order to run for Congress.

“Today, voters reminded the world that Florida is Trump Country. I won because of President Trump’s endorsement and his call for voters to send me to be a warrior for his America First agenda,” Fine said.

“In my visits to the polls today, I spoke to voters who waited for more than an hour because they wanted the country to know they still stand with President Trump. They are demanding Washington follow his bold leadership to secure our border, demand fair trade, and restore America as a leader on the world stage. To the voters who helped make today’s decisive victory possible, thank you for your support — I will not let you down. And to President Trump and my new Republican colleagues in Congress — reinforcements are coming.”

While Fine ultimately won the election by a comfortable margin, Democrats believe a message was sent about the level of anger in the electorate just a few months into Trump’s return to the White House.

Republicans hold a major advantage in Florida’s 6th Congressional District as far as voter registration is concerned. When voter rolls were closed ahead of the Special Election, the district had more than 273,000 Republicans registered, compared to just over 142,000 Democrats, with more than 143,000 other voters.

In November, voters in CD 6 backed Trump by 30 percentage points and Waltz won his re-election campaign with 66.5% of the vote.

But Democrats turned lingering resentment over the 2024 Presidential Election into a massive haul in political contributions. Weil said he raised more than $10 million for the race, mostly in small donations from across the county. By contrast, Fine underperformed in fundraising, reporting less than $1 million in contributions. That’s all according to the latest fundraising reports covering activity through March 12.

“The numbers didn’t add up in our favor today. We shouldn’t be disappointed however, this race was closer than anyone ever imagined,” Weil said in a statement. “In a district won by Mike Walz by 32 points, we closed that gap by a historic margin. An incredible gain. This progress is because of our grassroots supporters across the country and the voters in this district – Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — who believe in a brighter and kinder future. This result is also a warning sign to Donald Trump, Randy Fine, and the unelected oligarchs taking apart the government. Should they continue to steal people’s hard-earned money and benefits like Social Security and Medicare, defund education, focus more on culture wars than lowering costs: the backlash is only beginning.

“As a public school math teacher, I started this campaign for my boys and my students and their families. We all deserve to live in a community that cares about each other and everyone has the opportunity to thrive. On the campaign trail, I was reminded that most people want these same things. They want an elected official who will do right by their community and serve the community’s interest. While we didn’t win today, I hope that message resonates.”

But Fine, who enjoyed Trump’s endorsement, expressed confidence ahead of the election that Republicans would want a Congress who advances the President’s agenda.

“Donald Trump-candidate vs. Bernie Sanders-candidate. Self-made businessman vs guy skimming his own campaign funds,” Fine said. “Republicans need to vote. If they do, it’s going to be Fine.”

But Fine also proved a controversial figure among Republicans.

Ron DeSantis represented CD 6 in Congress before serving as Governor of Florida. Yet Fine and DeSantis have feuded for more than a year over a range of issues, with things taking a notably sour turn after the Palm Bay Republican switched a presidential endorsement from DeSantis to Trump in 2023.

When asked about the difference in Democratic and Republican turnout in CD 6 last week, DeSantis quickly pegged blame on “the specific candidate running in that race.” He continued criticizing Fine’s candidacy heading into Election Day.

Nevertheless, the state party reports members of DeSantis’ political team knocked on doors in CD 6 ahead of the election. Additionally, the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) managed 200,000 volunteer phone calls supporting candidates in this Special Election and another also happening in Florida’s 1st Congressional District. The party put up staff tents at most high-traffic precincts.

“Phone calls are still going out from across the state to voters saying if you haven’t gone out and voted, it’s an important election in CD 6,” said Bill Helmich, RPOF Executive Director.

But Florida Democratic Party (FDP) officials also put resources into the field to back Weil.

“We’re going to run through the tape,” said Matt Dailey, FDP Deputy Communications Director. “We are making sure we reach out to every Democratic voter.”

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin spent the weekend canvassing in the district alongside FDP Chair Nikki Fried. Meanwhile, Trump and U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, a candidate for Governor, held separate tele-rallies to boost enthusiasm for Fine.

The big question now may be whether the margin of victory for Fine, who won a much smaller share of the vote than Waltz ever did, shows he will be vulnerable to a challenge in 2026, if not in the General Election then in a Republican Primary.

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